Plasma Blast
by BeyondTheClouds777
Summary: What if Stoick didn't reach Hiccup in time, but Hiccup wasn't killed, only severely injured? Requested by the awesome AnimeAngel, Guest.
1. Chapter 1

**This is a NEW STORY requested by the fantabulous (is that a word? Well, not it is) AnimeAngel, Guest, who came up with this brilliant idea. What would happen if Stoick didn't save Hiccup, but Hiccup wasn't killed, just severely injured? What would happen? Totally a headcanon, but I have decided to roll with it. If you guys like it, I will continue, but if you're all like "Eww, how gross" then I guess I won't. :) Well, I can't stop in the middle of my projects, so I guess I'll be finishing it either way. :) False alarm! XD! Anywho, enough of my blabbing. Onto the story! :D**

He didn't know what to think.

"Ahh...what did he just tell you to do?" Hiccup asked his dragon. In respond, Toothless growled at the dragon trainer and began approaching. Hiccup took a step backwards, holding out his hands to try and stop the dragon.

"Oh come on, bud," said Hiccup. The dragon didn't even register he was being spoken to. The Alpha had him brainwashed completely as long as he was in the Bewilderbeast's control. "Toothless!" shouted Hiccup. "Toothless!"

The dragon didn't pay heed. He continued to approach the young boy, snarling and bearing his unsheathed teeth. He let out a harsh growl and continued forward.

"Toothless!" shouted Hiccup. He realized he was being cornered by the dragon; his dragon. This wasn't right. This wasn't right. It shouldn't have been happening. Toothless was his best friend. He would _never _hurt him, Hiccup knew it. But this wasn't Toothless doing it. No, this was Toothless being used by the Alpha. The Bad Alpha. Drago's Alpha.

"Stop!" Hiccup ordered. Although he had meant it to come out demandingly and harshly, it came out almost as a whimpering plea. "Snap out of it!" he begged, his voice cracking ever so slightly.

Toothless didn't "snap out of it." He approached Hiccup with confidence. Hiccup shrunk backwards, pressing himself against the ice.

"TOOTHLESS!" he pleaded. "Stop! Stop it, Toothless! Come on, buddy! PLEASE! STOP!"

Toothless didn't "stop it." He didn't even register it was Hiccup. Hiccup knew Toothless would NEVER hurt him...not intentionally, anyways. This dragon wasn't Toothless. It _was _Toothless, but at the same time, it wasn't. This was a pawn used by the Bewilderbeast to kill Hiccup, as Drago had demanded.

Toothless opened his mouth and breathed in a large breath. Hiccup knew what was going to happen. He _knew _what Toothless was going to do. He knew Toothless better than anyone else he had ever known or met in the past.

"HICCUP!" shouted a voice Hiccup knew all too well. He looked to his left and saw his father running towards him. "SON!"

Hiccup knew what he was planning to do. He knew it, but he couldn't let him do it. He _wouldn't _let his father die to save his life. Hiccup didn't think he was worth it. He held one hand out to his father, keeping his other hand out to Toothless.

"DAD!" shouted Hiccup. "NO!" He put his hand out in what would seem like a clear "STOP" motion, but Stoick didn't care. Gas built up in Toothless' throat, and then he ignited it.

"NO!" shouted Stoick as the plasma blast was fired. Smoke instantly clouded the area, along with the horrible sounds of ice cracking and splintering as it broke apart by the force of the plasma blast. If that's what the blast had done to solid ice, what would it have done to Hiccup?

Valka stopped in her tracks and gasped before she continued running. No. No please no! She couldn't have lost the son she only just got back!

When the smoke cleared, Toothless was standing, breathing heavily, smoke puffing out of his mouth, unaware of what he had just done. Valka ignored the Night Fury quickly, still intent on finding her son, hoping he was alive.

Stoick stood up. The blast had knocked him off his feet, but now he was terrified. That blast had hit _Hiccup! _The father hated himself for not reaching him in time. He followed his wife to look for their son.

Then they heard a harsh cough, followed by a few others. Valka and Stoick both turned to the source, and saw what both relieved them and worried them.

Hiccup was laying on his back, breathing heavily, his eyes closed. Large pieces of ice lay on top of him from where the large chunk had been broken and splintered.

"Hiccup!" shouted Valka and Stoick in unison. They raced over as fast as they possibly could and fell to their knees beside their son, shoving the ice off him. Hiccup exhaled shakily, his breath ragged and harsh.

"Hiccup," said Stoick, placing his hand on his boy's forehead. Hiccup opened his emerald green eyes, filled with so much pain and terror.

"D-Dad," he whimpered, coughing afterwards.

"It's okay, son," said Stoick, brushing Hiccup's bangs away from his eyes. "You'll be okay."

"Where's..." Hiccup stopped himself to cough, "...where's T-Toothless?"

As if on cue, the Night Fury, no longer under control of the Bad Alpha, inches over, sniffing curiously. What had happened? Why did Hiccup smell..._weird_? Then it hit Toothless. He had shot Hiccup. He had _fired at _Hiccup. He had _almost KILLED Hiccup_.

In absolute disgrace and shame, Toothless turned and bolted. He couldn't trust himself around Hiccup any longer. He couldn't hurt him again.

"Toothless, stop!" Hiccup shouted, trying to get up. Instantly he screamed in pain, falling back down.

"Hiccup!" shouted both the boy's parents in unison.

"We have to get him somewhere safe, Val," said Stoick, placing his hand back on Hiccup's forehead to ensure he didn't try moving again. "I don't know how badly he's been injured."

"Neither do I," said Valka. She was gently stroking Hiccup's cheek with her thumb, trying to soothe him. "We could take him to the ice cave, where I've lived for twenty years."

"It's the safest place we've got," said Stoick. "The best chance Hiccup has, too."

Hiccup moaned and squeezed his eyes shut again.

"We should hurry," said Valka. "Can you-"

"Yes," Stoick interrupted, knowing what Valka was going to ask him. He gently took Hiccup into his arms and stood, Valka standing beside him. Hiccup whimpered, squeezing his eyes shut even tighter. A tear fell from his eye, just because it hurt _so bad_. He couldn't even begin to describe what it felt like.

"Shh," said Valka softly, wiping the tear away with her thumb. "It's okay, Hiccup."

It didn't _feel _okay, though. Hiccup felt like a dragon was sitting on his chest, making it hard to breathe and near impossible to think of anything else. He whimpered again and tried to set his mind on something else; _anything _else at all. But his mind kept going back to his injury.

Valka quickly lead the way, Stoick following in close pursuit, being as gentle as he could with Hiccup in his arms, but at the same time, trying to go as fast as he dared. Because they really _didn't _know how badly Hiccup had been injured.

"Stoick!" shouted a voice from behind. Stoick didn't even turn around to acknowledge the person calling him, but he really didn't have to in order to figure out who it was. Astrid ran up to him and instantly gasped when she saw Hiccup's barely conscious state. Stoick barely gave her a second thought as he continued to follow his wife.

Astrid followed Stoick. Snotlout, Ruffnut, Tuffnut and Fishlegs ran behind Astrid and followed her. They had just barely caught a glimpse of Hiccup, and they didn't like what they had seen. They wanted to see if he was going to be alright, and then stick around to see what they could do to help.

When they got back to Valka's dwelling place, she instantly motioned to a spot where different blankets had been spread out on what looked like Valka's makeshift bed. Stoick gently laid Hiccup down on it as if he were made of glass and then knelt by his side, Valka doing the same.

"Is...is he going to be okay?" Astrid asked in a shaky voice.

"Yes," said Valka, although Astrid could hear the woman choking on her own sobs. "You guys go on and wait outside, please?" she asked.

The other riders didn't want to leave as much as Valka or Stoick would have, but they didn't hesitate. They moved out and waited for Valka and Stoick to take care of Hiccup with bated breath. They really wondered whether or not he would be okay.


	2. Chapter 2

**I was surprised with how many follows I got for this story in just a few hours! Wow! It was so awesome! :D I would like to thank ALL those who read any of my stories. It means a lot to me, knowing that there are people out there who enjoy what I write. :) This is my FIRST update today, and, as usual, shout-outs: **

**Guest (#1): Yes, well, I love cliffhangers. :) It keeps the readers interested. **

**Snowflake: Aww, poor Toothless. I feel so bad for him, especially since he knows what he did, but he didn't mean to, and it's just...GAH! _  
><em>**

**thewookie1: Glad you think so. :) It's just a random idea...;)**

**GuardianDragon98: Please don't die, Hiccup! **

**xFaerieValkyriex: I know what you mean. **

**silverwolvesarecool: Glad you like it so far! Yeah, me too. :) **

Valka turned to her husband, her eyes full of fear. Neither of them knew just how gravely Hiccup had been injured, and neither one of them were excited to find out.

It was Valka who decided to speak first. "Over there," she said, pointing, "there is a small pile of herbs and some gauze. Go get them and bring them here." She wasn't trying to order him around, and even if she had been, the crack in her voice made it all for naught.

Stoick nodded and stood to fetch the objects while Valka set to removing Hiccup's chest armor. They had been badly burned; she didn't want to think about what damage it could have done to _him_.

As gently as she could, she slipped Hiccup's shirt over his head and gasped at the sight of his chest. It was covered with red burns, and one gaping wound she hadn't realized before.

"Stoick, hurry!" she shouted in panic. Hiccup's consciousness was battling between staying and going; he wanted to pass out; he wanted the pain to end, but his body was insisting on him staying awake, and Hiccup was having a hard time fighting it. Hiccup moaned. He just wanted it to all stop.

Valka gently took Hiccup's hand in her own, giving him something to hold on to; to make him feel reassured; to remind him that she was there, and that she wouldn't let anything else happen to him. He squeezed her hand to let her know that he was thankful for her being there.

Almost as soon as he left, Stoick returned with the gauze and herbs. Valka stood up and moved over to her still lit firepit and set some water to boil over it. After that, she crushed the herbs in her fingers as quickly as she could and mixed them with the water. Then, she grabbed a cloth, soaked it in the water, and then ran back over, collapsing to her knees at her son's side.

She wrung the cloth out and then gently cleaned Hiccup's chest with it. It was hard to be gentle yet thorough, though, and it didn't help that Hiccup kept gasping and moaning whenever she ran over one of his burns or his main wound.

As soon as the burns and gaping, bleeding would had been cleansed so they didn't risk infection, Stoick gently held Hiccup up while Valka wrapped the gauze around his chest as tightly as she could without it causing pain. When that was over, Valka slipped Hiccup's shirt back over his head and nodded to Stoick, who gingerly laid him down again as softly as he could.

"He should be okay," said Valka. "He has some broken ribs, and that wound is pretty bad, but I don't think it's enough to kill him. He should be fine, after time, that is."

Stoick nodded and then wrapped his arm around his wife in a calming manner.

"I'm glad you're here, Val," he said, his voice just barely above a whisper.

"Oh Stoick," said Valka. "I'm glad you and Hiccup are here, too."

The two of them hugged each other for just another moment before Valka pulled a blanket over Hiccup, who was now sleeping peacefully. It was good he was resting; he needed it. After that, Valka went back to tell Hiccup's friends that they could come back in and see him.

...

Astrid tapped her axe against the ground impatiently. Why was it taking so long? It felt as if hours upon hours had passed since they left the room to let Stoick and Valka work, but now...? They should have been finished by now.

When Valka walked back out, the five riders were instantly on their feet, walking forward to hear what had to be said about their friend.

"He's sleeping now," said Valka, "but you are welcome to come in if you like."

She moved back in the cave, motioning for them to follow. They did so hesitantly, not knowing what exactly to expect.

They didn't even know what had happened. Astrid could only assume...she had seen Toothless run off, guilt and fear in his eyes, but she hadn't known why. When she saw Stoick carrying Hiccup, she had thought of a possibility...but no. There was no way Toothless _shot _Hiccup.

They hesitated when they saw Hiccup laying down, his mother and father kneeling beside him. Then, the riders raced forward, collapsing to their knees beside Hiccup.

"What happened?" Astrid asked with concern.

"The Alpha used Toothless to hurt Hiccup," said Valka. "It wasn't his fault though!" she added quickly. "The Night Fury didn't know what he was doing."

"So...Drago has control of all our dragons," said Snotlout, "and he's heading to Berk. He'll...he'll _destroy _Berk with our own dragons!"

"We have to stop him," said Astrid. She didn't want to leave Hiccup, but it wouldn't have done any good if their home was destroyed entirely. "We have to go back."

"How?" said Tuffnut. "They had control of our dragons, remember?"

"Not all of them," said Valka. All eyes were instantly on her. "The babies. The Alphas can't take control of them. They never listen."

"Great!" said Snotlout. "When do we leave?"

"You guys should go without us," said Valka. "It could be dangerous to take Hiccup on dragon back in his condition."

"I'll stay with you," Stoick said.

"Stoick, you're as worried for Hiccup as I am," said Valka, "but you have to go lead the Berkians. Don't worry. I'll take care of him," Valka added, caressing Hiccup's cheek. "You guys should go, though. You don't have much time."

Stock was reluctant. He wanted to argue that he should stay, but Valka did have a point. The Berkians needed their chief. They needed _someone _to lead them, anyways.

"Okay," said Stoick, rising to his feet. "Take care of him, Val."

"You know I will," said Valka. "Be safe."

Stoick and the dragon riders headed out. They would get to Berk, and give Drago Bludvist what he deserved.


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay, so this is my SECOND update today, and I know, this chapter is my shortest one yet, but I had to get something out there for you nice people. I don't know where this story is going, but I promise you it will be fascinating. :) I was so surprised by how many follows and stuff this story has, and I am still surprised now. I didn't think I would get so many...everything. :) Shout-outs: **

**AnimeAngel: EEEEKK! HTTYD2 OUT NEXT WEEK! AAAAAAAAAAAGH! *dies* XD! Seasons 3 and 4 will be out this spring, and I'm like...AAGH! :) SO EXCITED!  
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**snowflakeangel21: I'm glad you like it! :)  
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**flowingcrane3: Yeah, I guess she should have, but she also knew she had a place on Berk. And she knew that she was better helping Berk than staying with Hiccup, because Berk really needed everyone they could get, and in my opinion, Astrid's one of Berk's best warriors. :) **

**Wanli8970: Saaaaaaaad...**

**Snowstar: Okay! I have dialed in your vote! :) **

**silverwolvesarecool: YES! GET HIM FOR HURTING HICCUP! **

**Guest (#1): I wouldn't dream of giving up on it! XD! **

**xFaerieValkyriex: Yeah, I don't think anyone could keep Hiccup away for very long, if you ask me. :) **

**Wudelfin: I'm glad you like it! Details mean a lot to me when I write. :) **

**GuardianDragon98: Seriously. Don't die, Stoick. Don't die, Hiccup. Just...nobody _die_. **

**Guest (#2): Haha! XD!**

**Jesusfreak: Yes, I don't like writing about people dying, so...well, unless it's Dagur. :) **

**Guest (#3): I am amazed! You are epic too! :D**

"Stoick?" Astrid asked, almost timidly. "Who is she?"

"Valka is Hiccup's mother," said Stoick.

Astrid froze just for a second. "Wait...Hiccup's _mother_?" she asked, just in case she hadn't heard right, which she really thought she hadn't.

Stoick nodded.

"But...how is that possible?" Snotlout spoke up.

"It's a long story," said Stoick.

Astrid nodded and decided to leave it at that for now. She would ask Valka herself later. Or Hiccup, if he felt up to telling her.

The baby dragons flew all over what was left of the dragon sanctuary. Their eyes were almost too big for their heads, and their flying was off, so they always ended up crashing into each other and then falling back to the ground in either unconsciousness or a dizzy daze.

"Oh for crying out loud," said Snotlout.

"How are we supposed to ride those things?" said Fishlegs. "They can hardly fly _without _a rider, much less with one! We'll be killed!"

"See how they knock their heads together until they pass out?" Tuffnut whispered to Ruffnut. "It's glorious."

"Come on, guys, we are professional dragon trainers!" said Astrid with enthusiasm. "This shouldn't be too big a deal!"

...

It _was _"too big a deal."

"Come on!" shouted Astrid. "I just...want to get...on your...back!" She held a dragon by its tail as it tugged her around. At the last second, Astrid managed to jump on its back and show it that she was in control.

"Ha!" she shouted. "Success!"

Behind her, Stoick and Gobber were already on their dragons. Fishlegs was just getting on his, Snotlout was chasing his around all over the place, and Ruffnut and Tuffnut were fighting over who would get which dragon.

"Get over here, you crazy dragon!" shouted Snotlout angrily. He dived, just barely wrapping his arms around the dragon's neck and holding on for dear life.

Eventually, they all were mounted on the baby dragons. As soon as they were, they headed off towards Berk.

"How do you fly these thing!?" shouted Tuffnut.

"Yeah!" said Ruffnut. "They don't listen to anyone!"

"What's the plan, Stoick?" said Gobber.

"We get back to Berk, and give Drago what he deserves!" said Stoick.

"Look!" shouted Astrid.

Looking ahead as she had commanded, the Berkians saw Drago and his army already there. The Bewilderbeast was there, taking control of all the dragons.

"Let's finish this," said Stoick.


	4. Chapter 4

**Yes, dear readers! 'tis I! I have come to update! Yay! Sorry about the wait. Anyways, my FIRST and only update today. I'll do more tomorrow. Anywho, shout-outs: **

**silverwolvesarecool: Seriously, though. I want to see SOMEONE do SOMETHING to Drago! :) **

**Stormfly Goes For A Spin: GGGGAAAAAAAHH!**

**lorde: No problem! Glad to know you like everything you're reading in it. :) **

**Jesusfreak: I need to see that movie! I've seen the trailer, and it looks ADORABLE. :D **

**Arcaane: BRILLIANT! :) I WILL write that sometime! Shouldn't take me too long...:) THANKS! XD!**

**GuardianDragon98: I guess we won't know until later. **

**Silver Lighting: AHA! THAT IS BRILLIANT! I will have to do that sometime! Or when Hiccup says "HEY remember that time we went swimming and you tried to drown me?" I could do the story behind that line as well! :D THANKS A TON! **

**thewookie1: Yeah. :) **

**S. E: I will do a story like that sometime. :D XD!**

**amillipede: EEEEEEEEEEEE!**

**AnimeAngel: MORE than that! MORE than just being frozen and thawed a gazillion times! He deserves MORE than THAT! **

Three questions: Where was he, where was Toothless, and what had happened.

Hiccup opened his eyes and gazed around the room. HIs vision was fuzzy, but got better as he averted his eyes to fall at different locations of the room. He suddenly realized he was in his mother's cave.

Sitting up was a painful process, but he did it without much of a second thought. Standing up was harder, though, but he knew he had to. He had to find Toothless. He didn't know where his dragon had run off to. Hiccup had to let him know it wasn't his fault; that everything was okay.

Hiccup fumbled around for a moment before his hand ran over a stick. It was about as tall as he was when he set it upright, so he decided to use it for a walking stick, since he wasn't about to try and look for Toothless without one.

He gazed around and saw his mother curled up on the floor beside where Hiccup had been previously laying, sleeping. Hiccup smiled. She didn't have to know he was going. She would never let him. Mind made up, Hiccup slowly fumbled out of the cave, tripping over his own feet the whole way.

He had to find Toothless.

He had to find his best friend.

He looked around for a little bit before searching for a place the Night Fury would run and hide to. He didn't think he would have had time to be controlled again by the Alpha. After all, he was running as fast as he possibly could as far as he possibly could.

"Come on Toothless, where are you?" Hiccup whispered to himself.

It was hard getting along with just his walking stick, but he managed. He was too stubborn to give up just because he was injured. He wasn't going to let his poor dragon live in fear. It wasn't his fault. It was Drago's. Hiccup needed to make sure Toothless knew that. Because if he didn't, bad things could have happened.

"Toothless?" Hiccup called gently when he was sure he was far away enough from the cave for his mother to hear him. "Toothless, buddy, it wasn't your fault, okay? You need to realize that."

No reply.

Desperate to make sure Toothless knew the truth, Hiccup stumbled around aimlessly, searching for somewhere the Night Fury would have went to hide. Then, it met his eyes. He saw a small overhang, darkened by a large shadow. If the Night Fury was hiding in there, Hiccup wouldn't have been able to see him. It was the perfect place.

"Toothless?" Hiccup tried.

Silence.

Some part of Hiccup knew Toothless was there, hiding his shame. Hiccup carefully stumbled over with his walking stick, holding it in a death grip, since it really was the only thing keeping him on his feet. The pain in his chest was pretty much unbearable, but he forced himself to continue on.

"Toothless," he called, "buddy, please come out. I promise it will be okay, you just have to come out now. Bud?"

He heard a slight growl, and he knew Toothless was there for certain.

The overhang wasn't too hard to get to normally, but with broken ribs plus a puncture wound, it proved to be quite a challenge. Hiccup pulled himself into the overhang at length, just laying on his stomach with his walking stick sprawled out beside him when he finally reached his destination.

A growl broke the silence and reminded Hiccup that he still had a best friend to help. Grabbing his walking stick he stood, shaking on unsteady feet. Emerald eyes glowed in the darkness ahead of him, almost as if challenging him to come closer; daring him to make the first move.

"Toothless," said Hiccup.

Toothless curled tighter around himself, scooting backwards to try to stay away from his rider. Guilt plagued the dragon. He had tried to kill Hiccup. His Hiccup. His friend. His buddy. His other half. His rider. His _master_. He wasn't going to forgive him, Toothless thought. Hiccup _couldn't _forgive him. And even if he could, Toothless would never forgive himself for what he had done.

He wasn't dense; he knew he had been under the control of the Alpha when he fired that plasma blast; but none the less, he felt it were his fault. He should have been able to resist it. He should have been able to say _No. You will not control me. I will not allow you to use me to hurt my rider. I will fight. _

No, he went down almost without a fight. The entire time he had been approaching Hiccup, there was this tug at the back of his mind. He knew what he was about to do was completely wrong, but he had no control over himself. He couldn't stop it. He just opened his mouth and fired away.

And Hiccup. Hiccup was standing right in front of the dragon, holding out his hands, begging and pleading for the dragon to snap out of it; to take control over himself; to fight back; to resist the Alpha. But Toothless hadn't prevailed. He had fired. He had _shot _Hiccup with a plasma blast. He had almost _killed _Hiccup.

Hiccup had never been one to hold a grudge, but this time, Toothless was counting on it. He wouldn't have blamed Hiccup if he had, either. He would have only blamed himself. It was his fault, he felt. He should have been firing at the _Alpha_, not his _Master_.

"Toothless?" Hiccup asked again.

Toothless lifted his head and shrunk back further. He didn't trust himself with Hiccup anymore. He would never trust himself with Hiccup again. Not after what he had done. Not after what he did to the young rider.

"Toothless, it wasn't your fault, bud," said Hiccup.

Toothless growled in warning. _Stay away! Don't let me hurt you again! Don't! Please! I couldn't live knowing I'd hurt you a second time, I can barely live now! Stay away! Turn around! Run! _

Instead of running, Hiccup carefully held his hand out to Toothless. He couldn't leave his dragon, even though Toothless was making it pretty certain that he wanted him to. He couldn't bring himself to leave Toothless. He _wouldn't _leave Toothless. He would never have been able to live with himself.

"Please, Toothless, you are my best friend," said Hiccup.

Toothless was taken back a little bit. _Are_. He didn't say _You _were _my best friend. _No, he clearly said _Are_. Are. _You _are _my best friend._ Did Hiccup really forgive him?

"Please, buddy," said Hiccup. "I know you would never hurt me."

_But I did! _Toothless shrunk backwards, trying to tell Hiccup that he should get away from him. _I did hurt you! _He knew Hiccup couldn't understand what he was trying to say, so he tried to get his point across by hiding in fear.

"Toothless," said Hiccup. "You know I'm not leaving without you, buddy."

_Buddy. Why do you keep calling me that!? _Toothless thought desperately. _I tried to kill you! I tried to end your life! _

"Toothless, please come back," Hiccup pleaded.

Toothless really wished the boy would just give up. He wouldn't allow himself to get near Hiccup, but he wouldn't have been able to drive Hiccup away from him, he knew that much. He just wanted Hiccup to throw in the towel; but Hiccup was too stubborn for that.

"I am _never _going to give up on you, Toothless," said Hiccup. "I love you, buddy. You, are my best friend. _My best friend_," he repeated the last line with more force.

Toothless looked at Hiccup, shaking his head. He couldn't believe it. Hiccup really forgave him? _Really? _Still hesitant, Toothless uncurled himself and inched curiously towards his rider, just as he had done five years ago, the day they met.

Without warning, Hiccup flung himself forward and wrapped his arms around Toothless' neck, sobbing with relief.

"Oh Toothless!" he cried. "Oh Toothless...oh Toothless..."

Toothless purred, closing his eyes and nuzzling against his rider. Hiccup forgave him. Now he just had to forgive himself. Maybe he would never truly let it go, but for now, he decided that he would. Hiccup needed him right now.

Then, suddenly, Hiccup didn't feel like he could stand anymore. His ribs and all around injury had made him feel as if he would just pass out just by sitting up, but now since he'd been walking around, it was far worse. He sank to the ground, Toothless copying him. He wrapped his tail around his rider as Hiccup leaned against his side.

"Oh buddy," said Hiccup, "what would I do without you?"

He let his eyes drift shut, and Toothless asked himself the same question. _What would he do without Hiccup? _


	5. Chapter 5

**Heh heh...guess who hasn't updated for two days and feels really bad about herself? Right. Me. :( Man, guys, I am so sorry. Two days is too long. :( But I am BACK! I am ready to update, and I should do a lot more today. I AM SO. SORRY. PLEASE DON'T CHOP ME! Shout-outs, anyone? : **

**midnightsky0612: Yeah, sweet scene! I loved writing it so much! I love seeing Toothless/Hiccup relationship (I don't ship Toothcup, though. I mean bonding. Like a person and their dog). It's cute. :) **

**Arcaane: Well, I'm glad it made you happy. :) **

**thewookie1: Yeah. Poor buddy. Poor Toothless. **

**Wudelfin: Yes, hopefully. :) I'm sure it will. **

**Edlover23: Hiccup's a forgiving person. I'm sure they will. :) **

**xFaerieValkyriex: Seriously, Hiccup. Stop. Getting. Hurt! **

**AnimeAngel: Oooh boy. Mockingjay part 1. I'm not going to make it, nope. And it'll probably end in a horrible cliffhanger. :( Well, I guess I should get used to other people's cliffhangers, since I use them _all the time_. **

**Guest: Ahhh! I am so sorry for abandoning you guys! You are all awesome and I don't want you to think I forgot about it! (which is really impossible. I love fanfictions). I AM BACK! YAY! XD! **

Valka woke up to find that Hiccup was gone.

Instantly, she panicked. He was in no condition to be up and walking around, and if he was, it could have just injured him more. And if he wasn't, then that meant that something could have taken him...hurt him more, possibly.

There were so many possibilities. Valka couldn't lose Hiccup. She promised Stoick she would look after him, and take care of him, but not only that, he was her _son_. She _loved _him.

"Hiccup?" she called, spinning in a circle to look around the room quicker. "Hiccup!" she called, growing more frantic by the minute. "Hiccup, where are you!?"

Of course, Valka wasn't expecting to get a response, but she figured she'd try regardless. I mean, you never know. She quickly ran out of the cave and glanced around everywhere, trying to find somewhere Hiccup would have gone to.

She knew he would be looking for Toothless, but there wasn't even any guarantee Toothless was even on that island. He could have been controlled by the Alpha again and forced back to Berk to destroy it under Drago's command.

Valka's mind raced as she looked everywhere for her son. She couldn't imagine what had happened. What if he had fallen and hurt himself more? What if a dragon had taken him? What if something worse had happened? She was thinking about the negatives, but what else was she supposed to do, really?

"Hiccup!" she shouted. "Son! Please, answer me!"

Toothless had heard Valka's shouts. Hiccup was far from consciousness, not even stirring at his mother's constant shouting. It was worrying the Night Fury. He knew Hiccup needed help, but he couldn't get help unless the dragon left, and Toothless really _didn't _want to leave his human at that point. After all, Hiccup needed _someone _to look after him.

"Hiccup!" Toothless heard Valka shout. He could tell by her voice that she was near tears. "Hiccup, where are you!?"

Her voice was getting farther and farther away. Toothless knew it was now or never. Reluctantly, he stood up, gently making sure he didn't rouse Hiccup. The poor boy needed all the rest he could get, Toothless realized. After that, Toothless ran out of the overhang and towards Valka.

Valka had never been so relieved to see anyone in her life. Toothless was running towards her, bounding desperately.

"Toothless!" Valka breathed in relief. She knew that if Hiccup hadn't found Toothless, the Night Fury could sniff him out. "Where's Hiccup?" she tried, stroking the dragon's nose and staring right into his eyes.

Toothless suddenly remembered his rider. He turned, gesturing for Valka to follow, and then ran back in the direction of the overhang.

Valka knew something was wrong by the dragon's behavior, so she ran after him as fast as she possibly could have. Even then she was having a hard time keeping up. The dragon was intent and completely set on getting to an overhang...

...wait a minute. If Toothless was so desperate to get there, did that mean that Hiccup was there? She ran faster.

Toothless jumped, clawing his way back up the small climb and into the overhang. Hiccup was where he had left him. He hadn't moved at all. Toothless looked back. Valka was still following him. Good. She would know what to do.

Valka watched as Toothless disappeared from her view. She began to climb after him, struggling ever so slightly. She wondered how in the world Hiccup had managed to climb it, if he climbed it at all. There was still that possibility he wasn't there, and it terrified her.

Toothless licked Hiccup gently, trying to get a response. Hiccup moaned softly and cracked his eyes open slightly, looking at Toothless. Toothless cooed and roared over his shoulder for Valka to hurry.

"Hey, Toothless," Hiccup whispered. "Where'd you go, bud?" He had fallen asleep and then woken up in a completely different position with Toothless even more so. He knew the Night Fury had probably gone somewhere, knowing dragons as he did, but where was the real question.

"Hiccup!" Valka shouted as she pulled herself into the overhang and ran over to her son. She skidded to her knees abruptly and put her hand on Hiccup's shoulder, the other one resting at her side, not knowing what to do.

"Hey, Mom," Hiccup whispered in reply, wincing afterwards. His chest burned as if it were on fire, giving him a headache as well.

Valka felt so relieved at that moment it was kind of hard to be mad; but she needed to be stern with him at that time. She hadn't known where he'd gone, he'd just up and left without a single solitary trace. He'd nearly given her a heart attack.

"Where were you!?" she demanded. Although she wanted it to come out as demanding and stern, it came out as a relieved whisper. "Do you know how scared I was, Hiccup!? I thought something had hurt you!"

"I was l-looking for T-Toothless," said Hiccup.

"Never, ever scare me like that again," Valka begged, gently brushing the bangs out of Hiccup's eyes. "Please."

"Okay," said Hiccup, closing his eyes. Keeping them open only seemed to make everything worse. And it was already bad enough as it was.

"Come on," said Valka. "Let's get you back to the cave."

"Drago took his men to Berk, didn't he?" Hiccup said. It was a statement. Not a question.

Valka sighed. She didn't know Hiccup very well, but she could guess what he was getting at.

"Yes," she said, "but there is no way we're going over there right now. Hiccup, you're still recovering, and really you're in no condition to even sit up, much less head back to Berk and fight off a madman."

"Mom, Berk is my home," said Hiccup. "_Our _home. I can't just sit around while Drago destroys it!"

"I understand that," said Valka, "but I'm not going to let you risk your life over fighting Drago."

"You know," said Hiccup, "if you don't let me go, I'll leave without you. I'm really asking if you will come with me."

"Hiccup Haddock, I am not letting you leave," said Valka. "Neither of us are going anywhere, do you understand?"

"Nope," said Hiccup. "I have to go help them. Berk needs me. Us."

He kept saying _US _and _OUR _to try and emphasize the fact that Valka's home was Berk as well as Hiccup's. Of course, Valka realized this. She might not have known Hiccup for twenty years, but she could tell when someone was trying to make a point; to persuade another person.

"Please," Hiccup said, breaking Valka out of her thoughts. "I have to go back. We have to go back. I can't sit here while Berk falls under destruction, you know that. If Drago was attacking your Dragon Sanctuary, and you were off on Berk, possibly injured, you would still come here and try to defend it, wouldn't you?"

Valka opened her mouth to say something, and then realized she couldn't. Hiccup was right, in a sense. She _would _do anything and everything to save her home. Why should Hiccup think any different?

"Fine," said Valka. "But it doesn't mean I'm going to let you fight."

"YES!" Hiccup shouted. "Hear that, buddy?" he asked Toothless. "We're going home!"

Toothless nodded in approval and then stood up, motioning for Valka and Hiccup to get on his back. The two Haddocks did so before Hiccup clicked his prosthetic into the foot pedal, and signaled for Toothless to go.

They were off to save Berk.


	6. Chapter 6

**OKAY! My SECOND update today. You guys are incredibly awesome. Anyways, shout-outs: **

**xFaerieValkyriex: Thanks for being cool about the whole "no updating" thing. Hopefully it won't happen again. The only days I probably won't be updating at all are Saturday and possibly Sunday. Not sure, though. *shrugs* YES! Hiccup is stubborn. Learning bit by bit about your son, huh, Valka? **

**silverwolvesarecool: Sweet! Thanks! **

**Edlover23: Yes! Take them down, Berkians! TO WAR! **

**QueenAurora: Me too! I missed you all. *sobs* But here I am! *bounces back up with goofy smile* WHOOP WHOOP! LET'S GET CLIFFIE! **

**AnimeAngel: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! **

**Wanli8970: Yes. Hiccup's very persuasive and trustworthy. Both two great traits. :) And...WHAT!? YOU HAVE HTTYD2!? AHHH! CONGRATS! AWESOME! AWESOME METER JUST PEAKED! *explodes* **

Valka had never ridden a Night Fury before.

Of course, she really didn't have much time to appreciate the fact that she was sitting on the "unholy offspring of lightning and death itself." A third of the time flying was spent asking Hiccup if he was sure he knew where they were going, or if he wanted to turn around. Another third was spent with her making sure Hiccup didn't fall off. And the last part was spent making sure she held on tight enough. Toothless was _fast_.

He shot over the ocean like an arrow, the water rippling underneath them. Toothless and Hiccup seemed certain of what direction Berk was, while Valka herself was still trying to remember. She hadn't seen Berk in twenty years. How was she supposed to know where it was located.

"Before you ask," said Hiccup, breaking Valka from her thoughtful stupor, "I know where we are going."

"Why would you say that?" said Valka.

Hiccup shrugged. "Thought I'd save you the trouble of asking," he guessed. "You were about to ask again, weren't you?"

Valka paused. "Yes, I was," she said.

"Mom, I've spent my whole life on Berk," said Hiccup. "I can find my way there pretty well. Besides, with Drago and his army attacking, really shouldn't be too hard, either."

Valka didn't want the reminder that Drago was marching on Berk, ready to attack and kill Berkians without so much as a second thought. She wished Drago didn't even exist, but really that's all it was. A wish. Wishful thinking. Drago did exist. And they needed to stop him before he did any real damage.

"Hiccup," she said, once again calling to mind Hiccup's injury, "maybe we should turn back. You're not fit to fight, you know that."

"Yeah, so I'm not," Hiccup shrugged. "Doesn't mean I can't."

"That's not what I mean," Valka sighed. "You _shouldn't _fight."

"I have to," said Hiccup. "Berk's just as much my home as the Dragon Sanctuary was yours."

He said _was_.

"Besides," said Hiccup, "stubbornness runs in my blood. Nothing more to say about the matter."

Valka was about to say something else, when she heard the roar and battle cries of the Berkians.

"Well, we're here," said Hiccup, a mix between enthusiasm and dread in his tone. "Let's finish this."

...

"Your heir is dead!" Drago shouted.

"Hiccup?" a random villager asked.

"S'not possible," another one shook her head.

The Alpha opened its mouth, and breathed ice all over Berk, freezing different areas, wrecking different buildings, turning Berk into more of an ice rink then an actual island.

The riders on the baby dragons looked at the destruction. They had just arrived in time to watch as the Alpha froze their island.

And then they heard the telltale call of a Night Fury.

"Night Fury!?" Fishlegs shouted. "But there's only one of them in existance! And that's-"

"TOOTHLESS!" Snotlout shouted. "THERE!"

Said Night Fury blarred over the other dragons and riders. Hiccup and Valka were mounted on the jet black dragon.

"Hiccup!?" Astrid shouted. "Hiccup! What are you...why are you even here!?"

"I'm crazy, that's why!" Hiccup shouted in response. "How's it looking?"

"Hiccup!" the others shouted.

"Yeah yeah, I thought we covered that part," Hiccup said.

"What are you two doing here!?" Stoick demanded.

"What does it look like?" Hiccup asked.

"You shouldn't be here!" said Stoick. "I thought you two were going to wait at the ice cave until the battle was over!"

"Yeah..." Hiccup stuttered. "Sorry about that."

The Alpha suddenly turned his attention to Toothless. The Night Fury shook his head, trying to drown out the Alpha's control, but he couldn't. The Alpha was too powerful.

"Come on, bud," said Hiccup. "You can fight this!"

"Hiccup!" Astrid shouted. "Get off his back!"

She had seen it before they had. Of course, Hiccup had known what the dragon was about to do, too, but he wanted to give Toothless a chance. He wanted Toothless to fight it off.

But the dragon couldn't. He spun upside down, and Valka and Hiccup fell. At the last second, they both landed on individual baby dragons who had probably followed the other riders and dragons to Berk, but Toothless crashed to the ground in front of Drago and his Alpha.

Toothless was under the control of the bad Alpha.


	7. Chapter 7

**This is my THIRD update today. Hope you guys are enjoying it. I should be finishing it soon, so yeah. Fun fun fun. XD! Anyways, shout-outs: **

**midnightsky0612: ATTACK! **

**silverwolvesarecool: WHOOP WHOOP! TAKE THEM DOWN, BERKIANS! TO WAR! TO AWESOMENESS! AHA! WHOOPEDEDO! Thanks for that shout-out you gave me. :) **

**xFaerieValkyriex: I'm glad my writings help. :) I enjoy writing. It helps me relax. **

**StormflyGoesForASpin: FFFFIIIIIIIGGGGGGHHHHHHTTT! **

**amillipede: EPIC! **

Hiccup wanted to shout; scream; throw out some horrific insult that would have made anyone feel demeaned; but he found he couldn't do either one of those things. He could only watch, powerless, as Drago mounted his dragon and took him to the sky.

"No..." Hiccup said.

"He took all the dragons!" Fishlegs cried.

"Distract the Alpha!" Hiccup commanded. "Keep his focus off of Toothless!"

"Ah, how?" Tuffnut asked.

Behind them, Eret was struggling with the dragon he was on.

"Have you forgotten who you're riding with!?" he shouted. "There isn't a dragon alive that I can't wrangle...except this one!"

"Amateur," Snotlout mumbled.

"Hey look!" shouted a Berkian from below them. "It's Hiccup!"

"What?" Drago questioned.

It suddenly occurred to Hiccup that Drago hadn't seen him arrive. He couldn't help but smile. So Drago wasn't as clever as he thought himself to be. Maybe, just maybe, Hiccup could outsmart him. Somehow.

Meantime, the other youths and Eret flew right in front of the Alpha and tossed the black sheep at it.

"Black sheep, baby!" Snotlout shouted. Fishlegs blew a horn, and the sheep landed on the Alpha's face.

"Ten points!" Snotlout exclaimed. "Oh-"

Fishlegs blew the horn again. At this point, the Alpha had had enough of it. He smashed the horn into bits and pieces. No fixing _that_.

"I'm okay!" Fishlegs said.

Hiccup had flown on the dragon he was mounted on and came right in front of Drago, mounted on Toothless.

"You certainly are hard to get rid of, I'll give you that," Drago sneered.

Hiccup ignored him. "Toothless," he said. "Hey, it's me bud. It's me, it's me, I'm right here, bud. Come back to me."

Drago laughed. "He's not yours anymore," he said. "He belongs to the Alpha, but please, oh great Dragon Master, try to take him. He will not miss a second time."

"It wasn't your fault, bud," said Hiccup, reaching his hand out tentatively to his dragon. "They...made you do it. You'd never hurt me. I know that. You know that. You would never hurt me."

Toothless growled, his eyes expanding before narrowing into slits once more.

"How are you doing that?" Drago questioned.

He was, once again, ignored.

"Please," said Hiccup. "You...are my best friend."

Toothless shook his head, trying to break free from the control of the Alpha.

"_My best friend_," Hiccup repeated with more force in his voice.

Toothless' pupils expanded until they were back to normal size. He looked at Hiccup and sheathed his teeth, a goofy smile on his face.

"Thatta boy! That's it!" Hiccup shouted. "I'm here!" He rubbed Toothless' head.

"No!" Drago shouted, whacking Toothless with his bullhook. Toothless was having none of it. He was tired of being in control of a dragon and madman who made him hurt Hiccup. Anyone who hurt Hiccup wasn't even worthy of death in the dragon's mind. He tossed Drago off his back and looked back at Hiccup.

"Yes!" Hiccup shouted.

Toothless grinned...and then realized his tailfin wasn't opened. He fell through the air, plummeting towards the ground.

"Hang on!" Hiccup shouted, jumping off the back of the baby dragon he was riding. "Almost there, buddy! Almost there!" At the last second, he reached Toothless and mounted him. The tailfin opened, and the duo shot into the sky.

"Do something!" Drago shouted at his Alpha.

"We have to get those two apart!" Hiccup said. As he and Toothless passed a red flag, Hiccup grabbed hold of it and tore a piece off. "Got to block them out, Toothless," he said, holding the flag in front of the dragon. "Do you trust me, bud?"

Toothless growled in approval. Hiccup carefully put the blindfold around the dragon's head, cutting off all sight from the Night Fury.

"We can do this," said Hiccup. "You and me...as one. That's it. Now, let's try this one more time!"

"Take 'em down, babe!" shouted Astrid as Hiccup and his Night Fury flew overhead the village and villagers.

"Go Hiccup!" cheered a Berkian.

"Go get 'em," Valka breathed, although her mind was telling her to say the exact opposite. Here was Hiccup fighting off a deranged madman practically on his own. She should have been worried, but instead, she was proud.

"Take control of it!" Drago commanded his Alpha.

"Shut it out, Toothless!" Hiccup shouted.

"STOP THEM!" shouted Drago.

"NOW!" Hiccup pretty much screamed.

He locked Toothless' tail, and then jumped.

Toothless passed Drago overhead. Drago laughed, and then realized Hiccup wasn't there. He gasped. What in the _world_...?

Hiccup, meantime, had opened his flightsuit and was now heading straight towards the Alpha. He took out Inferno and sprayed Zippleback gas all over the Alpha's head. Then, he ignited it. Drago was knocked off by the explosion, and fell to the ground.

Hiccup looked back before looking on front of him and seeing he was heading straight for the Alpha's tail.

"Not again," he breathed. He was seeing a deja vu. The Battle with the Red Death all over again, only...where was Toothless this time? "Toothless!" Hiccup shouted to wherever his dragon was. "It's now or never! Come on, bud!"

Toothless came at once at the sound of his rider's shout. He caught Hiccup, and made a move to steer free of danger.

"Hold on!" Hiccup shouted.

They just barely missed the tail. "YEAH!" Hiccup shouted. "We did it!"

They landed and instantly saw Drago trying to reach his bullhook. Hiccup saw this, so he drew Inferno as fast as he possibly could, and threw it. The blade sank into the ground in between Drago's hand and the bullhook.

"Hold him there, Toothless," said Hiccup. "It's all over now."

Drago stood up, a smile on his face. "Or...is it?" He turned to his Alpha and nodded. The Alpha looked at Hiccup, breathed in a breath of air, and then fired ice straight at him.

Toothless saw all this almost in slow motion. No. He wouldn't let the Alpha hurt Hiccup. Not again. NOT. AGAIN. Toothless jumped on top of Hiccup as the ice surrounded them, sealing them in a case of ice with no escape.

Trapped.


	8. Chapter 8

**So guess who's going to be finishing this story today? That's right! ME! This isn't the last chapter, and if all goes well, I believe there will be two chapters after this (so it totals up to ten chapters). Man, this story is taking longer than I first anticipated, but it's good. :) Shout-outs: **

**Wanli8970: That's good that Flara can't fall under the Bewilderbeast's control. That would stink. XD! She sounds like an awesome dragon! I'm looking forward to writing about her. I'm still thinking myself how Hiccup's going to gain her trust. Maybe Flara can overhear him talking to himself about how he had battled Drago once? I don't know. My mind is racing! :) **

**KidJr: Okay! By Sea Story you mean "Seaworthy", right? If I'm wrong, please tell me. And sorry if I am wrong. Probably makes me sound even more weird than I really am. :P XD! :) **

**Guest (#1): It's good to be back. :) **

**AmaraRae: :) **

**Edlover23: YEAH! No one messes with Toothless or his rider! **

**silverwolvesarecool: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH! I've only seen it once so far. **

**Guest (#2): No, I guess they don't. XD! **

**Guest (#3): I agree with you. There will be two more chapters after this one, just showing the healing process. In the end of this chapter, I do put a little, and then in chapter 9 there is rather a lot. I know what you mean about it feeling rushed and all that. I've only seen the movie once, and I didn't really know a bunch of details I could have added. It is possible I will do a rewrite of this story after I see the movie again, that way I can work out the kinks. Thank you for the insight! Means a lot to me knowing my readers are expressing their full opinions. Negative and positive criticism make me a better author, so thanks! :) **

**Crimson-Strength: I normally do multiple updates, but yeah! HTTYD2 is out on DVD! WHOOP WHOOP! XD!**

**Silver Lighting: No problem! I understand people are busy. I myself am as well. :) And yeah! I've been thinking about writing a fanfic with Hiccup and Dagur as young kids. (Dagur's name is spelled Dagur. It got me too when I first heard it, so I had to look it up on wikipedia to make sure I was getting it right. XD!). Thanks for the reviews!**

**ScarletNightFury: 18 times? Really? I've only seen it once! Hahahahahahaha! XD! I love suspense. "Trapped". Great way to end a chapter if you like cliffhangers (which I obviously do). :) **

**Let my dragons roar: He is, he is. I am putting more of that in the end of this chapter, and then in the next one. Hiccup's just to stubborn to let an injury keep him from saving his friends and family (especially since for the first time in forever he has a _complete _family). But there will be more! :) **

**thewookie1: Yeah, me too. I guess I could have put a few more changes in there, but really I didn't want to change too much. The biggest change was Stoick not dying and Hiccup getting injured instead, so the story was pretty much focused on that in the first few chapters. In the last chapter, Hiccup was just stubborn. Too stubborn to let his family and friends die...I think if I were injured like that and my family and friends were in trouble, I wouldn't be able to take it sitting down. :) **

**girlwhoneverforgot: Little bit more. :) Thanks for reviewing! **

**amillipede: You will have to wait and see in this chapter! Unless you want a spoiler, in which case, read the next word: Yes. :) **

"NO!"

Valka and Stoick both raced forward and fell to their knees in front of the ice. Valka beat on it with her fists, trying to break it, but to no avail. Beside her, Stoick was trying and having the same results as Valka.

"No! No!" Valka shouted. She couldn't have gotten Hiccup back just to lose him again. She just...it would have been too horrible. She couldn't stand to live knowing her son had died. Why hadn't she just returned to Berk all those years ago? At least then she would have got to know her son before the Alpha killed him.

Stoick was thinking near the same thing as she was. Why hadn't he just forced Hiccup to stay down? Why did he allow him to take on Drago alone? Why hadn't the plasma blast hit him; hurting him; instead of Hiccup? There were so many whys.

...

What?

It was dark. Dark. Solidly dark. Strange to think about it that way, but it was. Hiccup couldn't even hardly see his hand when he put it out in front of him. It was insanely scary; it terrified the dragon rider. Was he dead? He didn't imagine it being like this. What in the _world_...? The last thing he remembered was Toothless jumping over him to shield him, and then it went dark.

Wait...Toothless?

"Toothless?" Hiccup whispered, using as little breath in his voice as possible. The dragon was standing over him, nudging him. He must have blacked out, because the dragon seemed relieved when Hiccup spoke.

It was cold. Freezing. Which was saying something, since Hiccup had spent his entire life on Berk, where it was _always _constantly freezing. This was different, though. It was freezing cold and dark. What was going on? He didn't have even the slightest clue. Unless, somehow, he had survived the Alpha's ice blast.

Toothless was panicking. He had saved Hiccup, yes, but had he really _saved _him? No. They were going to suffocate. They hadn't been there five seconds and it was already near impossible to breathe.

How had he allowed this to happen? Toothless felt it was all his fault. He should have fought the Alpha's control at the Dragon Sanctuary and he should have fought the Alpha's control just five minutes prior to their current situation. He should have resisted it, but _noooo_. It was up to Hiccup to save the day again.

Hiccup was having similar thoughts. Toothless shouldn't have jumped in front of him. He was going to die anyway, so why bring Toothless to the same fate? He should have done something to prevent this. He should have done _anything _to prevent Toothless from jumping in at the last second.

Already their oxygen was running out. Hiccup found it hard to focus on anything except his dragon. Toothless tried licking him, as if it would somehow save him, but nothing was..._anything_, really. Nothing was working, nothing was going as planned, nothing was anything.

"Toothless," said Hiccup, gently patting his dragon. He sighed. It was becoming harder and harder to breathe, but at that moment, it was okay. He was okay dying next to his best friend, knowing at least Berk was safe for the time being. "I'm so sorry, Toothless. This is all my fault."

Toothless wanted Hiccup to stop talking at that point. What did he mean _all my fault_? It wasn't his fault. If anything, Toothless felt as if it were his own fault. Hiccup didn't do anything. Toothless did, though.

"Thanks," said Hiccup. "For everything. I don't know what I would have been without you."

_Dead_, he told himself. He would have been _dead _long before without Toothless. He would have died in a dragon raid, died in the battle against the Red Death, died while fighting Drago...dead.

Toothless was thinking the same thing. He would have been dead if Hiccup hadn't cut him free (even though he was the one who shot him down), dead if Hiccup hadn't brought the dragons to fight the Red Death, dead if Hiccup hadn't fought off Dagur the Deranged that one time, mentally dead because Drago would have killed Hiccup and the other Berkians...dead.

When Toothless looked at his master again, he saw that he had closed his eyes.

_No! _Toothless roared, feeling every bit of rage and hatred against Drago and his Alpha. He was so mad it was unbelievable. He was so mad, his skin was hot.

Wait...what? His skin was..._hot? _

Toothless' rage exploded. Literally. The ice was sent splintering and shattering all around them, blasting everything away in a single explosion. Toothless instantly looked at the Alpha, and roared as loudly as he could. Hiccup coughed once or twice before standing up, looking at Toothless first with fear, and then with relief.

Toothless jumped away and stood on one of the spikes in front of the Alpha. He roared fiercely.

"He's challenging the Alpha!" Hiccup shouted.

"To protect you!" Valka came up behind him, followed by Stoick closely. They watched in awe as Toothless roared and shot plasma at the Alpha.

_Take that! _Toothless thought. _Have a taste of your own medicine! Like it or not! _He roared at the other dragons and fired a few more times at the Alpha. Then, the other dragons came and flew behind Toothless in a huge swarm.

"No no no no no no!" Drago shouted. "Fight back! Fight back!"

Hiccup ran up from behind and mounted Toothless.

"What's the matter with you!?" Drago shouted angrily.

"Now do you get it!?" Hiccup shouted. "THIS is what it is to earn a dragon's loyalty. Let this end now."

"NEVER!" shouted Drago. "Come on!"

All the other dragons began firing at the Alpha, Toothless leading the charge.

"FIGHT!" Drago shouted.

Toothless then breathed in a deep breath, and fired at the Alpha. The plasma met its mark on the dragon's tusk. It crumpled down, crashing into the water. It roared in fury, but Toothless had the better of the fight.

Then, the Bewilderbeast, no longer the Alpha, almost bowed to Toothless. Then, it turned and returned to the ocean in which it came.

"The Alpha protects them all!" Hiccup shouted.

The dragons turned and landed on Berk again, and then roared in victory, firing into the sky. Then the dragons went up to Toothless, and bowed. Toothless straightened his posture, looking every bit as noble as he felt. Hiccup couldn't suppress a smile. Toothless moved up to him, almost hesitantly. Hiccup put his hands around the dragon's head and stared into his eyes.

"You never cease to amaze me, bud," he said. "Thank you."

And then Toothless started licking him.

"Agh!" Hiccup exclaimed. "Toothless! You know that doesn't wash out!"

His mother and father walked up to him, and then both gave him a hug. Hiccup returned it wholeheartedly, the other people around them reuniting with their dragons. So it had all ended well after all.

Suddenly, Hiccup's injuries caught up with him. His chest burned like someone was pressing a hot sword to it (which Hiccup spoke, sadly, from experience in forges), making his legs feel unstable; unable to hold his weight.

And then Hiccup fainted.


	9. Chapter 9

**So guess who changed her mind about how many chapters this fic was going to have? That's right. I did! It will probably have more like twelve, when in my last A/N I said it would have ten. Well, I wanted to make it longer. I had another idea...so...yeah. Anyways, shout-outs: **

**xFaerieValkyriex: Yeah. Injuries. Why do they always feel worse the second day you have them? *shrugs* Makes no sense to me. **

**amillipede: I love it. It's all heroic, and then *BOOM* *thump* Nice, Hiccup. Very nice. XD! **

**Edlover23: I guess we'll have to see! :) **

**silverwolvesarecool: Yeah, me too. And yes, I did. XD! It was great! **

**Let my dragons roar: He is rather arrogant at times, but other than that, he's brilliant. I love his character. XD!**

**Little Did You Know: XD! **

Hiccup woke up at his house. He was lying in his bed, covered with blankets. He tried to sit up, and then found that he wasn't able to. His ribs and chest burned, so he just settled for assessing the room.

It was light; sunlight streaming through the windows ensured that. Hiccup guessed it was around noon...or something like that. Noon, though. How long had he been out? Was it days? Hours? Minutes? Who knew? Weeks, possibly? Nah. Weeks were a bit extreme.

He looked around for Toothless, but found the dragon wasn't in his usual spot. Hiccup guessed he could respect that; Toothless was the Alpha, after all, but in all honesty, he wanted to see the dragon.

He wondered how the other Berkians were holding up. He hoped it was going okay, whatever they were doing. He really couldn't see, and he couldn't get up to find out, either. It was annoying for him. He hated being bedridden.

Of course, he understood why he had to be, but he hated it nonetheless. He had fainted from his previous injury by the plasma blast. Who had brought him here? He had about a bazillion questions and little to no answers.

Then the front door opened. He heard footsteps ascending the stairway, and then was welcomed by Astrid.

"Hiccup!" she shouted, racing over. "You're awake!"

"How long was I out?" Hiccup asked.

"Two weeks," said Astrid.

"TWO WEEKS!?" Hiccup said suddenly, trying to sit up, but then deciding against it. "What do you mean two weeks?"

"I mean two weeks!" said Astrid. "Fourteen days? You know."

"I know how long two weeks are, Astrid," said Hiccup. "But what happened?"

"After the short reuniting," said Astrid, "you fainted."

"I knew that much," said Hiccup. "What else?"

"You fainted, and then we panicked for a few moments," Astrid went on. "Your Mom and Dad took you back, told me to go get Gothi, which didn't take long at all, considering the fact she was standing right there. We took you here-" She gestured about the room, "-and then let Gothi look over you." She sighed and didn't continue.

Hiccup was intrigued now. "Well, don't stop there," he said. "What happened after that? What did Gothi say about my injuries?"

"She said you made them ten times worse by getting up and coming here," said Astrid. "Stoick and Valka told her what had happened, and then she shooed us out. None of us wanted to leave, but it's not like she gave us much of a choice, really. She wanted to get it done, and she wouldn't have been able to focus with us watching, so we went and stayed below."

"You still haven't told me what she said," said Hiccup.

"The main wound became infected," said Astrid. "No one was really counting on you surviving one night, much less two weeks. You got fevers frequently, too. Actually, almost constantly, now that I think about it. Your Dad spent every spare moment of his time here with you, you know. He was scared to death, Hiccup. He never left except when he absolutely had to. He does have a village to run, after all. Your Mom stayed here frequently, though. She went out every now and then to tell your Dad how you've been doing. As for the rest of us...we were helping Stoick most the time, get the village back into order. Snotlout's been worried, although he'd never admit it. Fishlegs, of course, didn't try to hide his fear. Ruffnut and Tuffnut were always talking about you, asking Valka how you were going every time they saw her."

"What about Toothless?" Hiccup asked. "Where is he?"

Astrid stopped and gazed at Hiccup, almost sadly.

"...Astrid?" Hiccup asked. "Where's Toothless?"

"Toothless..." she paused, not wanting to continue, but did anyway. "...he ran off. No one's seen him since."

"WHAT!?" Hiccup shouted. "What do you mean no one's seen him since!? Where did he go? Where would he go? It's not like him to run off, especially when I've been hurt." He recalled all previous times. When he woke up after the battle with the Red Death, Toothless was there. When he woke up after being struck by lightning, Toothless was there. The time he got Eel Pocks, Toothless never left the house. Every single time. Why would this time be any different? "Why would he do something like that?"

"I don't know!" said Astrid. "He just vanished! Like he had never even existed! He...I saw the guilt in his eyes. He knew it was his fault."

"But it wasn't!" said Hiccup. "The Alpha..._made _him do it! I thought Toothless knew that! We talked about it. I...I thought we were over that by now. Why would he run off?"

"He thought it was his fault," said Astrid. "He did shoot you."

"I told him it wasn't his fault," said Hiccup. "I thought he knew that!"

"We've looked for him," said Astrid. "Snotlout, Fishlegs, the twins and I. Your Mom did occasionally, but really spent most her time here with you or out getting Gothi, or telling your Dad of your condition."

"We have to find him!" said Hiccup, pushing himself into a sitting position. He winced and hissed through his teeth as soon as he did though, and fell back against the headboard.

"You can't!" said Astrid. "You've been unconscious for _two weeks_, Hiccup. Two weeks. That's half a month! You can't expect to up and go, just like that!"

"But I have to find him!" said Hiccup. "Talk some sense into him...make him realize he wasn't the one who hurt me!"

"Hiccup, you have to stay here," said Astrid. "Your wound reopened while you were fighting, and Gothi told us that it could do it again unless you cut down on the activities."

"This isn't an activity, Astrid!" said Hiccup. "If Stormfly was lost out there somewhere, wouldn't you do anything and everything to make it right?"

"That's different," said Astrid.

"_I _don't think it's different," said Hiccup.

"Well, it is," said Astrid. "And don't think I'm leaving any time soon either, Hiccup, because I know the minute I leave, you'll go out and try to find Toothless."

"And how do you think I'm going to do that?" said Hiccup, gesturing to himself.

"Knowing you, you'll find a way," said Astrid. "It's a bad habit. I'm not leaving until Valka gets back. Then, I'll leave and look for Toothless, and she'll stay here with you. I know she will, especially when I tell her what you wanted to do."

"You wouldn't," said Hiccup.

"Wouldn't I?" said Astrid mischievously, not even trying for a smile. "I'll gather up the other dragons and riders and go look for him as soon as your Mom gets here. She'll probably then go out and get your Dad, so you'll have two worried, overprotective parents to stay with you. Consider yourself lucky."

"Yep, lucky, that's me." Hiccup rolled his eyes. "Lucky one-legged, hold-in-the-chest-"

"Nevermind lucky," said Astrid. "Fortunate."

"Fortunate!?" Hiccup frowned. "Astrid, my dragon _ran away_. You call that fortunate?"

"Fine!" said Astrid. "Be negative!"

"What's there to be positive about?" Hiccup questioned. "Except the basics. I'm not dead, my friends and family aren't dead...but other than that, what?"

"I don't know," Astrid sighed. "I don't know."

At that moment, the front door opened, and the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs met their ears. Whoever it was was obviously trying to get there as fast as possible, since it sounded as if they were skipping steps every so often.

Valka darted up the stairway, hesitating just for a split second before running over.

"Hiccup!" she shouted. "You're awake!"

"Exactly what I told him," said Astrid.

Valka sat down on the bed and hugged Hiccup, although there was a hesitant feeling in the embrace. She didn't want to do anything to hurt Hiccup further, since he was already pretty banged up.

"How are you?" Valka asked. "Are you in pain? Do you need anything? Do you want some water? Are you hungry? Are you-"

"Time out!" Hiccup said. "I'm fine. What happened to Toothless?"

He already knew what had happened because of Astrid, but he wanted to hear what Valka had to say about the matter. She had been living with dragons for twenty years. She probably knew them a little better than he did.

"I assume Astrid's already told you," said Valka as if reading his thoughts. Hiccup nodded. "I don't know what Toothless was thinking," Valka went on, "but I assume he realized that he was the pawn used by the Alpha who did this to you."

"Where would he have gone?" Hiccup asked.

"I don't know." Valka shook her head sadly. "Your friends have been looking everywhere for him. We don't know where else he could be."

"He has to be _somewhere_," said Hiccup. "He can't fly on his own, remember? There's no way he could have left Berk. He's here somewhere."

"I'll go get the others and start looking again," said Astrid. "And Valka, Hiccup tried to get up and look for Toothless himself."

"I figured he would try," said Valka. "I'm glad you stopped him."

Astrid nodded and then turned and ran out of the room, down the stairs, and out the door.

"Oh, Astrid!" Valka called.

"Yeah?" said Astrid.

"Could you go get Stoick and tell him Hiccup's awake?" Valka asked.

"Yeah!" Astrid called back. They heard the door open, and then close.

"You were seriously planning on looking for him?" Valka asked Hiccup, although she already knew the answer before she even asked. Hiccup would have gone out and looked for Toothless if Astrid hadn't been there.

"Yeah," said Hiccup. "Where could he have gone?"

"I don't know," said Valka.

He felt a strange deja vu. That one Snoggletog all those years ago, when Toothless and the other dragons left for mating season. Only Toothless hadn't gone for mating. He had gone to find Hiccup's helmet, but either way he was gone for days. Three days.

It was almost like that, only this time, Toothless had been gone for weeks. Two weeks. Fourteen days.

And Hiccup didn't think he was coming back.


	10. Chapter 10

**'ello! I will or will not be finishing this story today, and if not today, then tomorrow for sure. :) I believe this is my FORTH or FIFTH update today (something like that). You guys are awesome. Shout-outs: **

**Let my dragons roar: No idea. I just can't stop myself. I just see a story and I just got to...update it. You know. It's...who I am, fandom. :) **

**StormflyGoesForASpin: Nooo, Toothless! :'( **

**silverwolvesarecool: Pretty much my reaction. Poor Toothless! :( I feel so bad for him! **

**thewookie1: Yeah, at least Hiccup's alive, and it will probably end up well in the end. *clears throat* Probably... **

**KidJr: :) **

**Wanli8970: Poor, poor Toothless. Poor Hiccup, too. Toothless thinks Hiccup's better off without him and I'm just here like "Noooo!" And yet I'm the one writing it...sad. **

**Edlover23: Yes, me too. I feel so sorry for all the Berkians, in all honesty. Hiccup especially. Toothless, too, since he's so guilty about it and thinks it's his fault. **

**AnimeAngel: No, he will not. Well, actually, he kind of has already broken my heart (and yet I'm the one writing it). *sniff sniff* COME BACK, TOOTHLESS! YOU DON'T WANT THE SCAULDRON TO COME AFTER YOU!**

**Little Did You Know: He'd better. **

**xFaerieValkyriex: GAH! TOOTHLESS NO! **

He couldn't stop thinking. No matter how many times he tried, it was impossible. His mind always drifted back to the Night Fury who had left because of guilt. Guilt. Knowing that made Hiccup feel guilty. He was sure Toothless had learned that it hadn't been his fault, rather the Alpha who had control over his thought process, but he was wrong. Toothless obviously still felt it were his own fault.

Hiccup held his charcoal in one hand, his notebook in the other. He was sketching out a brief map of Berk just by his memory, trying to think of somewhere Toothless could have run and hidden. It wouldn't have been out in the open; the other riders would have found him already. He had to be somewhere out of sight.

Valka was downstairs making dinner. She had left after making sure Hiccup knew he wasn't allowed to leave. She had been tempted to tie him to the bed, but that was taking it a little bit to the extreme.

Hiccup crossed Thor's Beach off the map. Toothless wouldn't have hidden there. What about the beach they found Heather on? No, the other riders would have looked there, too. Toothless was smart. He knew where to hide. He was a Night Fury, too, on top of being intelligent. Stealth masters, Night Furies were. If it didn't want to be found, you didn't find it.

But Hiccup knew Toothless. He knew how he acted, where he would hide. He had lived on Berk his whole life; twenty years to be exact. He had seen it from dragon back, and on foot. He had been everywhere; there wasn't one spot he hadn't been before.

"Where would you hide...?" he asked himself, tapping his charcoal on the paper, creating dots on it without hardly even thinking about what he was doing. He crossed out every location that would be in the open. He wasn't anywhere near the village, obviously, because someone would have spotted him. Raven Point? Possibly. He circled it. The Cove? He circled that, too, even though it was in Raven Point.

He continued on until he narrowed it down to Raven Point and a few other locations. Raven Point was the closest, though. Probably the easiest one to get to, considering his condition. He would need a walking stick...no...maybe _two _walking sticks, to use like crutches. He would need a distraction...he couldn't let his Mom or Dad learn what he was planning, even though he was certain they already had an idea.

He would have to wait until nightfall. That would be the best time to leave. Unfortunately, it would also be the hardest time to look for Toothless. He was a _Night _Fury, after all. His scales were black; he could blend into even a simple shadow, and you wouldn't even know he was there.

It was all so messed up. How would he pull it off?

A few minutes later, he heard the front door creak open, followed by distant murmurs. He could only figure his Father had come back and was talking to Valka downstairs. About what, he could only guess it was him.

He heard footsteps. He closed his notebook and put it away as quickly as he could. No one needed to know what he was working on. His Father appeared in the doorway just a few seconds later. After a moment of hesitation, he walked forward and sat down beside Hiccup on the bed.

He gave him a hug, which Hiccup returned wholeheartedly.

"How are you doing?" Stoick asked.

"Fine, fine," said Hiccup. "Toothless is still missing."

"Your friends have been looking for him like mad," said Stoick. "They'll find him."

"And what if they don't?" said Hiccup. "What if no one ever finds him?"

Stoick sighed. "I'm sure they will," he said.

"Yeah?" said Hiccup. "I wish I could be that sure." Hiccup sighed. "It's been two weeks, Dad," he said. "Do you really think Toothless would stay away this long, and then come back?"

"Hold on," said Stoick. "I know where you're going with this. Toothless will be back, Hiccup."

"Neither of us know that," said Hiccup. "Neither one of us. No one knows. And no one will know until it becomes obvious. But when will that be? No one knows that, either."

Stoick sighed. "He'll be back," he said. "End of story."

Somehow, that didn't make Hiccup feel any better.

...

A little later on, the dragon riders came back and gave Hiccup a report on what they had found. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. No sign or trace of Toothless. Of course, Hiccup hadn't expected they would find anything, so it wasn't like he was disappointed.

Well, of course he was. He had wished they had found his dragon, but he hadn't gotten his hopes up about it. He was ready for defeat.

After that, Hiccup lay awake most the night, thinking, waiting for the right moment to leave and look for Toothless. He had his notebook and charcoal, he would just need a walking stick, which really wouldn't be too hard to find. Give or take a few minutes.

After about an hour, he listened. Silence. Now was his time. He just needed to think about how he would do this...

Getting down the stairs? No, it would be way too hazardous and noisy. Out the window? Possibly. It wasn't too far a drop. What other choice did he have? Toothless needed him, possibly. Probably. No, _definitely. _

Hiccup stood up; really a lot harder to do than it sounded. He had been unconscious for two weeks. He wasn't exactly used to using his feet (that is to say, foot, of course). He grabbed one side of the bed and pushed himself up, wincing, but managing it nonetheless, purely because he was stubborn.

He grabbed his satchel without hardly moving, and then put his notebook and charcoal in it. He felt another deja vu, like he had felt so many times that day; the time he went out the first time to look for Toothless, before they even made peace with the dragons. After shooting him down, he had done a similar thing to what he was doing now. Leaving in secret with a notebook and charcoal, looking for a Night Fury...

Pretty much the same thing. Only this time, Hiccup wasn't saving Toothless from a physical trap. He was saving Toothless from the trap he had made for himself. The dragon probably thought himself to be a monster; Hiccup needed to make sure the poor Night Fury knew the truth.

He put his hands against the wall as he made his way over to the window to steady his shaking legs (leg). This was crazy, but he really didn't have the choice. Of course, he could have just backed out of it, but he wasn't going to. Toothless needed him. End of story. Nothing more to be said.

He let go of the wall for a split second and put his hands on the window sill, staring out into the darkness. This was it. He put one leg over the side, so he was half in, half out. Then, all at once, he jumped.

It hurt more than he had expected. He landed on his back (thankfully not his chest, which would have hurt to the point of him screaming) in some of the bushes. The branches carved tiny scrapes on his face, but he ignored it as he stood up and looked around the bush pile for a stick.

He found one that was just a little shorter than he was. It relieved him; now he wouldn't have to worry about finding a walking stick. Then, after making sure he had the satchel, he stumbled towards Raven Point.

He had a Night Fury to find.


	11. Chapter 11

**So...second to last chapter! Possibly...unless I suddenly get this urge to write a chapter 13. :) Anywho, shout-outs to all you awesome readers: **

**Little Did You Know: Aaah, Hiccup, you little weirdo. Why didn't you do that? **

**Jesusfreak: A Big Hero 6 fanfic, huh? Maybe! I haven't seen it yet, obviously, but I'll consider it! Thanks! And sorry about that virtual sickness...I haven't gotten over my own yet, so...whoops. My bad. :( Haha. But really, I hope you feel better. :) I guess I do have a lot of reviewers. *shrugs* ONLY BECAUSE YOU GUYS ARE ALL INCREDIBLY AWESOME! :) **

**Wanli8970: Probably. That would be awesome! **

**xFaerieValkyriex: No kidding. Hiccup, find Toothless. Toothless, find Hiccup. Apologize to him for running off! Make up! DO IT!**

**midnightsky0612: AAAAH DRAGO I HATE YOU! DIE! DIE! DIE! **

**Jack the Night Fury: Awesome username, by the way. Everyone on here has really awesome and creative usernames and I'm just like "WHOA!" :) **

**AmaraRae: Who knows? *shrugs* They have a lot to make up for. **

**AnimeAngel: Me too. It most likely will. **

**silverwolvesarecool: Ah, Hiccup, stop being so stubborn, you little weirdo! XD! JUST REST! I just want to tie him to the bed and...grrr. **

**thewookie1: Yeah, I guess he just didn't want Astrid to learn he was leaving. She'd never let him go. :) Yeah, he could probably ride _any _dragon he really set his mind to. I'm certain of it. **

**Guest (#1): Poor Toothless...**

**TinyToothless22: I don't really have a set updating schedule. I probably won't update on Saturday, but other than that I normally do two to three updates in one day. Like I said, I don't really have a set schedule. :) **

**Edlover23: Hiccup, just stay. Put. For five minutes. Is that too much to ask? **

**Silver lightning: I will write one about Hiccup and Dagur as young kids, although I don't know when I will write it. (P.S. It is spelled D-A-G-U-R with one G, not two. XD!). :) And ooooh! Cookies! *takes one and hands you cup of milk to go with it* Thanks! **

Valka woke up. Something felt off. She couldn't put her finger on exactly what it was, but it was there. Well, moreover, _wasn't _there.

She got up and silently made her way over to the stairs, heading up to Hiccup's room. She stopped in front of the closed door, hesitated, and then knocked. No answer. She pressed her ear to the door. She couldn't hear anything.

At length, she pulled the door open. She was shocked, but wasn't surprised. Hiccup wasn't there.

"Oh no," she breathed. "He went after him. Alone." She turned back to get Stoick, and then the two of them mounted their dragons and headed out.

...

Hiccup stumbled through Raven Point, one hand on his walking stick, the other one pushing up against trees every so often to keep his balance. He still couldn't believe he was doing this, but he really didn't give himself the choice. He had to find Toothless before something bad happened.

Well, something _worse _happened.

Part of him was shouting _Hiccup, you ignorant fool! You should have just told the others to look at Raven Point for Toothless! _Another part was shouting _You're doing great! Keep going. You'll find him_. A third part of him was shouting _NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE. DEAD DEAD DEAD DEAD DEAD. _

"Stop talking," he told himself. "You're only making it worse."

He continued on until he came to the cove. Part of him was thinking _The others have probably looked for him here. Probably the first place they would look_. The other part wasn't so certain.

Carefully, Hiccup stumbled into the cove, keeping his hands wrapped firmly around his walking stick. As soon as he stepped foot into it, he heard growling of a dragon he knew all too well.

"Toothless..." Hiccup breathed.

Toothless was curled in the corner, baring his teeth, obviously trying to give Hiccup a clear _Stay away! _message. Of course, Hiccup knew this , but that wasn't going to stop him. He had found Toothless. That was really the easy part.

Now came the hard part.

"Toothless, it wasn't your fault," said Hiccup. "You know that, right?"

Toothless only growled. What was Hiccup doing here? The Night Fury was confused. He should have been in his house. He had been unconscious last time Toothless had seen him.

_Because of you, _he told himself. _It was your fault he was unconscious. It's your fault he's still hurt. Your fault. All your fault, Toothless. Your fault. Toothless. Toothless." _

"Toothless," one voice stood out from the rest. The voice of his master, calling to him. "Toothless, buddy, please stop this. Just stop it. It wasn't your fault. You would never hurt me. I know that. You would _never_, _ever _hurt me, not in a thousand years."

_But I did! _Toothless knew. He had hurt Hiccup, even if the Alpha had used him to do so. It was his fault. Or, that's what Toothless thought. Hiccup had different thoughts all together.

"Come back, Toothless, please," said Hiccup. Toothless only growled and curled up tighter. "You hurt me even more by staying away," Hiccup pointed out...what was that in his voice...kindness? Why was he being so kind to a dragon who nearly took his life? Toothless didn't understand, and Hiccup hadn't expected him to.

"Toothless, I need you," said Hiccup. "Please."

He suddenly couldn't stand anymore. His injuries were just too much for him to handle. He tried to position himself so he fell against the side of the cove, but instead managed to fall right on his side with a groan of pain. He shouldn't have left. He should have just told the others where he assumed Toothless was. He should have just stayed behind and rested while the others found Toothless. They would have found him eventually, after all.

Toothless looked where Hiccup had collapsed and felt guilt all over again. It was his fault. He was insanely worried about his rider, but he didn't trust himself to go over there just yet. He knew Hiccup had forgiven him, but was he at all mad?

"Toothless," Hiccup begged horsley, "please, buddy. I'm not mad at you for any reason. Come back to me..." Before he completely finished his thought, he moaned and felt a distinct blackness overwhelming him. He knew it too well, and he also knew that there was no stopping it once it started. He let his eyes shut, and then heard and saw no more.

Toothless, meantime, was panicking. He couldn't stop himself as he raced forward and nudged Hiccup as soon as his eyes had closed. He didn't get any response at all from the boy. Not even a moan, or cry, or anything at all.

Lightning sounded from above them, and Toothless feared the worst was yet to come. Rain fell from heavy clouds, covering the whole of Berk in pelting rain that was bigger than the usual drops of water.

Toothless didn't know what to do. He knew Hiccup had forgiven him. He had hurt Hiccup, and now he needed to help him.

As carefully as he possibly could, Toothless picked Hiccup up and repositioned himself underneath him. Then, he wrapped his wings around his rider and held him like he had five years ago, after the battle with the Red Death.

He only hoped help would come soon.

...

Valka flew through the rain on Cloudjumper, urging the dragon onwards. She had to find Hiccup. What was he thinking, running off like that? And now it was raining, on top of that. _Raining. _She had to find Hiccup. She just had to.

Because she didn't know what she would do if she didn't.

Stoick flew beside her on Skullcrusher, searching the areas below for any sign of his son, and finding none so far. He needed to find Hiccup. Valka had explained that he had left to look for Toothless, but that wasn't a very good explanation for Stoick. He would have to talk to Hiccup about that once this was out of the way.

He was trying to think positively, but it was hard. They had been flying for a good while now with no sign whatsoever. Neither Valka or Stoick knew where Hiccup had gone. Neither of them knew whether or not he was alright.

Well, obviously he _wasn't _alright. With broken ribs and that main puncture wound, he was far from alright. Thinking of that made both the worried parents urge their dragons on as fast as they possibly could go. They had to find Hiccup.

Valka didn't know Berk very well; so much had changed after twenty years, but she still knew the ideal places for a dragon to hide. Somewhere enclosed and rather hidden from sight. That's where they would hide.

Looking down, she saw something that matched that description. It was a dark, almost hole in the ground.

"Head down there, Cloudjumper," she told her dragon softly. "I think they could be there. Stoick, head below."

Cloudjumper turned and headed down with a quick grunt of acknowledgement. Stoick followed her in close pursuit. They landed inside the cove, and instantly saw the figure of their son's Night Fury.

"Toothless!" Valka shouted. She was relieved to see the dragon, but still didn't know where Hiccup was...and at this point, he was far more important to her. "Where's Hiccup?" she questioned, almost harshly, although she tried to keep it out of her voice.

Toothless grunted and then carefully unfolded his wings, keeping one of them draped over Hiccup like an umbrella to keep the rain off of his body.

"Hiccup!" both Stoick and Valka shouted. They raced over, and then Stoick took Hiccup into his arms and stared down at his pale face. His eyes were shut, his breathing undetermined.

Stoick pressed his ear to Hiccup's chest. A heartbeat. He was alive, at least. Injured, unconscious (again), but alive.

"Come on," said Stoick, standing with Hiccup still in his arms, "let's get back to the village."

"Toothless follow us on foot," said Valka. She didn't know how to work the tailfin, and she figured Stoick would be more comfortable on Skullcrusher if he was carrying Hiccup. Besides, Toothless had no problem running.

Stoick mounted Skullcrusher, Valka jumping on Cloudjumper. She nodded to Toothless, and then the dragons headed off towards the plaza. And Toothless followed them.

Hiccup forgave him.

Now he just needed to forgive himself.


	12. Chapter 12

**So, maybe I picked an awful way to end the story, but in my opinion, it's good. I like it, anyways, and I hope you do, too. Anyways, shout-outs: **

**silverwolvesarecool: No, Valka wouldn't tie Hiccup to the bed. She's tie him to _herself_ and then stay in his room until he recovered. :P **

**xFaerieValkyriex: Aaah, it's okay. I'm a bit random and awkward sometimes. Get a load of this: Yard sard! I'm looking at the computer laughing my head off for no apparent reason. I'm crazy. **

**Little Did You Know: AGH! JUST LISTEN FOR ONCE, HICCUP, YOU FOOL OF A HADDOCK! **

**AnimeAngel: I do a lot of random stuff Sparkglider has to save me from (Sparkglider is my Changewing). She saves me mostly from myself... **

**Edlover23: Yes, Toothless. Please understand. **

**midnightsky0612: He'd better. Hiccup needs him. :) **

When he woke up again, he was back in his room. But that didn't make sense. He passed out at the cove. Unless...unless someone had found them.

Hiccup tried to sit up, although it drained his energy. He managed to prop himself up against the headboard and looked forward. Toothless was curled up on his stone slab, sleeping as if nothing had ever hap...

...wait...

...Toothless?

What was he doing here? Last thing Hiccup remembered was begging his dragon to come back, to forgive himself...had he done it?

"Toothless?" Hiccup asked. Toothless perked up almost instantly. His eyes shone with relief and fear. But there was a third thing: guilt. He moved over slowly, keeping himself low to the ground, almost crawling. What was he so afraid of? Was he afraid Hiccup was going to be mad at him?

"Toothless, buddy, I'm not mad," said Hiccup.

Toothless looked at him uncertainly as if really wondering whether or not he was being truly honest with him.

"Toothless, you're my best friend," said Hiccup. "You know nothing you do could make me say differently, don't you?"

Toothless looked about ready to run off again, but nodded instead. He knew Hiccup was serious.

"I promise," said Hiccup. "Have I ever broken a promise?"

Toothless shook his head.

"You have to realize that you will never not be my friend," said Hiccup. "We're part of each other, you and me." He gestured to himself, and then pointed to Toothless. "I don't think I could live without you."

Toothless felt the same way about Hiccup.

"Oh Toothless," Hiccup breathed, sitting forward and wrapping his arms around his dragon's neck. After a moment, he pulled back and put his hands on either side of the dragon's head. "Don't ever leave again, okay?" he said.

Toothless nodded, and then licked him. Hiccup recoiled, a smile on his face.

"That's...disgusting," said Hiccup. "Good to have you back, bud."

The more Toothless thought about it, the more he realized how great it was to be back.

Their bond was stronger than a sword. Of course, swords need sharpening, polishing, and sometimes repairing, should it shatter. It wears out over time, but then you fasten a new blade to it, and it's as good as new. It never truly wears out.

Hiccup and Toothless had a few rough ends to sharpen; a few scratches to buff out; but in the end they were still whole. Sometimes there would be a bend in their friendship, but then they fix it. Make up for it.

Their friendship would never truly wear out.

_I had a dream, you were there. High above the clouds somewhere. Rain was falling from the sky, but it never touches you, you're way up high. No more worries, no more fears. You have made them disappear. Sadness tried to steal a show, but now it feels like many years ago. And I...I will be with you every step. 'Cause I...I've found a friend in you, and we'll always stay together. Come fly with me, into a fantasy. Where you can be whoever you want to be. Come fly...with...me! -Into a Fantasy _

_**THE END**_

This is Berk. A bit trampled, busted and covered in ice, but it's home. It's _our_ home. Those who attacked us are relentless and crazy. But those who _stopped_ them, oh, even more so! We may be small in numbers, but we stand for something bigger than anything the world can put against us. We are the voice of peace, and bit by bit, we will change this world. You see, we have something they don't. Oh, sure, they have armies, and they have armadas... but we... we have... **OUR DRAGONS!**


End file.
